Question for Women?

This is a discussion on Question for Women? within the General Firearm Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; I am doing a little research on women firearm purchases and would like to hear your stories about your first gun purchase.
Any experience you ...

A woman must not depend on protection by men. A woman must learn to protect herself.
Susan B. Anthony
A armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one has to back it up with his life.
Robert Heinlein

My very first purchase I went to a pawn store last year after someone tried to break in. I knew nothing about guns, never owned one, never shot one and was a more than a little scared about owning one. The owner of the store was a real nice guy and spent a lot of time with me as we went through his inventory. He had an old Taurus PT .22 that I really liked. He tried hard to talk me out of it, that for protection I would want more than a .22. But something about the pop up barrel and no slide I really liked and it fit with my comfort zone. So I told him that's what I wanted, I'd consider it my learning gun and when I was comfortable with it I'd go to something with a larger caliber. So I bought it, shot it a lot and in a few months was ready to upgrade.

I'd done a lot of research online for something small that could be easily concealed and went to the local new gun store to check out the 3 I'd narrowed it down to - an LCR, a Bodyguard and a LCP and planned on buying one of those 3 that night. I had to wait awhile, all the men in in the store were helped first. I walked up to the Ruger case where a salesman was showing a guy the LC9 and listened in. The guy was just looking, wanting to check it out so when he was done the sale man turned to me. I told him I was considering the LCR and a few others but I liked what I'd heard just then about the LC9. He compared the guns for me, talked about the cost of ammo and various features of each and I ended up buying the LC9. With a 3 day wait (I didn't have my permit yet) the first thing I did when I got home was google the LC9 since I really knew nothing about it but what the salesman had said and I was worried about making a choice I hadn't researched yet. I turned out very happy with my purchase, although it's not a "fun" gun for me to shoot at the range. Now I'm getting the itch to buy something else, I'm just trying to figure out what LOL. I got my permit a couple months ago and carry daily so I've come a long way from the nervous girl in the pawn store last year.

I have noticed now when I go into the store the other salesmen still help the men first, but the one who sold me the LC9, if he's there, as soon as I walk in he calls me by name, asks how I'm doing and asks if he can help me. I don't know if they work on commission, but he's the only one I deal with now.

Many years ago my husband asked if I wanted my own gun. I replied, "Yes! I'd like a stainless steel .357 mag revolver with a smaller grip." No rust, stopping power, .38's for practice (less expensive), and my hands are small. He got me a Ruger. I'm very happy with it.

The night before my wedding my soon-to-be (now) husband came in the door with his hands behind his back and said, "Nothing says, 'I love you, trust you and want to protect you' like handing you your very own, loaded handgun." And with that he handed me a Bersa Thunder .380.

Technically it was his because I was only 20 years old.

My very first purchase was on my 21st birthday (just shy of my one-year wedding anniversary). After stopping by the sherrif's office to apply for my concealed carry permit, we went up to the gun store and I picked out a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry in .40 S&W.. turned out to be the worst purchase I've ever made but that little 1911 had everything I wanted from a gun (except for reliability).

If I were to do it all over again, knowing what I do now, I would have cut through all the crap and got a M&P or shield or Glock or something. Oh well... live and learn.

PS.. Let me just say, if you are doing research on women first purchases (to whatever end) I need to say that as a first time purchaser I was really annoyed with the pushiness of the salespeople and how they kept trying to stick me in the "you'll better be able to handle the .38 revolver" box. I'd been to the gun store 1,000 times with my husband and had never seen him so undermined and condescended. I knew what I wanted and it took much arm pulling for them to give it to me.

Yeah, that gun was a mistake, but not because I chose the wrong platform just because that gun in particular was a problem child.. I ended up carrying and shooting 1911s for many years and still love them.

I think it's getting better but women are often still undermined in gun stores... ESPECIALLY if it is their first purchase.

Me going into a gun store now is hilarious. I can wipe the floor with almost any salesperson and it's clear I know what I'm talking about... but from time to time I like to play dumb and see how sales people will treat me and it's like a time machine taking me back to my 21st birthday with salesmen trying to talk me into a tiny revolver.. It's okay to present it as an option, for sure, but is someone says, "No, I'm looking for an automatic," (or vic versa) male or female they should be respected.

Well, the advice I got for buying my first firearm came almost entirely from this forum!

I did a LOT of research first. A lot. I felt that buying something that might mean the difference between life and death for me deserved that much. I scoured the internet day and night.

I had to start from scratch. I didn't know the difference between a revolver and a semi-automatic, so I started there. Saw a lot of articles online touting the S&W Airweight as the "perfect gun for a woman", so I put it on the "to-try" list. failiaphotography on youtube (another notable figure in my preliminary research) carries a Ruger LCR, so I thought I'd try that, too.

I started with an "Intro to Handguns" class with Greg Pugh from St. Louis CCW. I didn't think I should be picking out a gun and taking a carry class without having ever touched a gun before. It was a really great class to teach me the basics and the plinking we did with his .22s got me comfortable handling a firearm. I'm taking my CCP class with him in November.

I then went to a local range because I figured the best way to know what I want is to try things out. I took a ex-military gun-enthusiast friend with me for guidance. First I chatted with one of the guys behind the counter on the retail side. I asked him about "pocket pistols" (another term I'd read on the internet) and he said he liked the Kahr 380 the best. I was pretty adamant that I didn't want a semi-auto (I had read so many things online that said they weren't reliable), but kept it in mind and headed for the range.

I immediately went for those .38 Special revolvers I had been dying to try. And I hated them. They both hurt my hand.

My friend encouraged me to try a .380. I figured there was no harm in trying. The guy behind the counter at the range side recommended a Sig P238. I tried that against the Kahr 380 the first guy recommended. I really liked the Sig. I packed up for the day and went home to think about things.

More research came. I discovered this forum. I asked a lot of questions. Everyone here was very, very helpful. It was on this forum that I was convinced that a high quality semi-automatic is extremely reliable, and that I don't have to be afraid of single action guns.

I was leaning towards the Sig I'd tried when I went back to the LGS. Chatted with the retail guy for a long while, as he let me check out a variety of guns. I eventually went for it and got the Sig Sauer P238 SAS model. I am very pleased with it.

I have had very good experiences so far at the LGS. The guys back there don't seem to treat the women any differently than the men. No one tried to sell a ".22 revolver for the little lady." They give both men and women equal treatment, and may even give the ladies more positive attention. I think it just comes down to that they enjoy teaching, and knew that I wanted to learn. But I never felt talked down to, and I did go into it having a pretty good solid knowledge (after HOURS of internet research) and a good idea of what I wanted, and they respected that. If I had felt that I was even the slightest bit discriminated against as a woman, I would have not given them my money.